Boiler-manhead.



L. HOUTS.

BOlLER MANHEAD. APPLICATION EILED MAR. 2, i911.,

1,243,178. Patent@ oef. 16,1917.

Swann/Foz LEONARD Hours, or vnnnnasnnne, INDIANA.

BOILER-MANHEAD.

Application filed. March 12, 1917.

T0 all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD I-Ion'rs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Veedersburg, in the county of Fountain and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boiler-Manheads;and I do declare the following to be a full. clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to boiler manheads and more particularly to thatclass of manheads which comprises cover plates adapted to be securedagainst the inner surface of the boiler and provided with a gasket toact as a packing between the boiler surface and the cover plate.

It has been found that gaskets usedy with manheads or cover plates areeasily disengaged from the face of the cover plate when the same areremoved. This has been the cause of considerable expense and trouble andit is the principal object of this invention to provide a means forsecuring the gasket against the cover plate so as to prevent itsbecoming disengaged therefrom or shifting on the plate.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich is readily detachable and easily applied.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which themeans forsecuring the gasket against the face of the cover plate isprevented from shifting or turning on the gasket. To this end myinvention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts tobe more fully herein'- after described and claimed, and in which theaccompanying drawing forms part of the specification.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of my invention applied;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the opposite side thereof, the bolt beingin section;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the component parts of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a cover plate ormanhead which may be of any configuration desired to suit the individualneed, but which in its preferred form comprises a substantially ovalmember. As in the general type of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedv Oct. 16, 1917.

Serial No. 154,287.

these cover plates, it is provided with a bolt 2 extending centrallyfrom one face thereof. At the bottom of the bolt 2 a lug 3 is formedwhich surrounds the base of the bolt and is formed integrally with -saidbolt and the plate 1. In the preferred form of my invention this lug ispreferably square shaped as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The bolt 2whichrises above this lug is threaded through' nearly its entire lengthfrom its outer end to a point spaced slightly above the upper flatsurface 12 of the square lug 3. o

The upper threaded end of the bolt 2 is adapted to be positioned in aspider 13 which is of the ordinary construction. The usual nut 14 ispositioned upon the outer end of the bolt to act against the spideranddraw the cover plate 1 tightly against the inner face of the ordinarvboiler 15 to completely close a manhole or other aperture A 16 in theside of the boiler. This is the general type of construction and ismerely illustrated to show the application of my invention. On the faceof the plate 1 adjacent the surface of the boiler is disposed a suitablegasket 4 to provide a packing member between the cover plate and theboiler surface. This packing gasket 4 is centrally apertured as at 5 toconform to the shape of the lug 3 so as to allow placing of the gasketover the lug. Owing to this vconstruction of the aperture of the gasketand the lug on the cover plate it will be seen that shifting movement ofthe gasket with respect to the adjacent face of the plate will beprevented.

The clamping means for securing the gasket against the adjacent face ofthe plate comprises :i substantially dish-shaped oval plate 6 of thesame outline as the plate 1 but' of smaller dimensions. This plate isprovided with a socket formed in its bottom which is disposed adjacentthe gasket 4. This socket 8 is shaped to conformwith the lug 3 and isadapted to receive said lug therein when the plate 6 is applied to thegasket. The formation of the socket provides a raised central portion onthe opposite surface of the plate 6, which portion is raised slightlyabove the edges of the plane of the top of the edge 7 of the plate andis provided with a flattened upper surface 17 having a central bore toaccommodate the bolt Q which is passed therethrough. The nut 11 isthreaded on the shank of the bolt 2 between the spider 13 and the upperHat surface 17 of the raised central portion of the plate 6 and isdesigned to clamp the plate against the cover plate 1 and thereby securethe gasket e against movement on the cover plate, while at the same timedisposing the nut 11 in readily accessible spaced relation from thecover plate. Owing to the construction of the gasket hereinbeforementioned and the lug' 8 the clamping plate 6 is prevented from rotatingabout the bolt 2 and loosening the gasket.

The clamping plate is provided with raised edges 7 which are inwardlybeveled as shown in Iigs. 1 and tso that when the clamping plate 6 isforced against the gasket 5 under action of the nut 11, the gasket willbe forced outwardly around the edges of the plate and provide a moreefficient packing means between the clamping plate and the cover plate.

In the operation of my device, the gasket is placed in position on theface of the cover plate and the clamping plate is then positioned on thegasket with its socket registering with the lug on the cover plate andthe'nut 11 is then screwed down to rmly clamp the two members with thegasket interposed therebetween, after which the cover plate is insertedin the manhole to be covered and positioned therein. 'Ihe bolt is thenextended through the spider and the .nut on the outer end of the bolt isthen tightened against the spider to draw the cover plate outwardlyagainst the surface of the boiler to completely cover the manholetherein.

It will be understood that by the provision of this construction theclamping plate may be at any time tightened against the gasket withoutin any way interfering with the adj ustment of the cover plate over themanhole.

It is desired to here point out that the raised edges 7 of the clampingplate 6 are adapted to be flush with the edges of the manhole asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 which forms a further seal for the packinggasket 5.

v without in any way departing from the scope ofmy invention asdisclosed in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a cover plate, agasket'on said plate,

'a squared laterally projecting lug on the plate, a bolt stem extendingfrom said lug, a clamping plate for securing said gasket against thecover plate and provided with a socket to receive said lug to preventrotation of the clamping member, a raised portion on the cuter face ofsaid clamping plate, surrounding said stem and having a flat facethereon, and a nut on said bolt to engage said flat face in clampingrelation whereby to be disposed in laterally spaced relation over thecover plate.

2. A device vof the class described comprising a cover plate of largerarea than an aperture to be covered, a bolt stem projecting laterallytherefrom, a gasket on said plate and of the area of said plate andsurrounding said stem to preventshifting, a clamping plate of similaroutline but of smaller dimension than said cover plate for securing saidgasket against the cover plate,

the edge surfaces of said clamping plate being beveled toward the coverplate to force the gasket outwardly from the edges. of the clampingplate, a nut on said stem to hold the cover plate, gasket and clampingplate in secured relation and permit independent adjustment of saidclamping plate and gasket. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setl my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LEONARD HOU'IS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

